The lettering on the outside makes it easy to order: "Eat
Bertha's Mussels," it reads. And there's really no reason to come to Bertha's
except to try their delicious mussels and variety of sauces, especially those
involving butter. There's garlic butter and capers, butter and lemon, butter
and basil, butter and spinach and tarragon. There are also other choices, like
sour cream, but mussels are a perfect excuse for eating lots and lots of
butter. Bertha's also has a number of other tasty seafood items, such as a
catch-of-the-day, crabcakes, chowders, shrimp and escargot. If you're not a seafood
fan, you really shouldn't come to Bertha's, but it does have decent burgers and
a happening bar with live music. It's a bit of a maze to navigate from bar to
restaurant, since the restaurant is situated in what seems to be once someone's
house, as are many things in Baltimore, and the inside is rather dark for its
lack of many windows. But there's a whole lot to look at: random fishing
equipment, items fished from the harbor, a whole ceiling lit up green with beer
bottles. Inside, the fish is frying, the fiddle is playing, the atmosphere is
alive.